This is one of my oldest and best molasses cookies. Or are they ginger cookies? I call these Big Soft Ginger Cookies but they can go by either name. The recipe is basically the same as other molasses cookies but with a few little twists that make it unique. I've updated the recipe to be made all in one bowl, and you should get 24 giant, perfectly round, crinkly cookies.
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Butter and Shortening or Shortening Only
You can use a mix of butter and shortening or all shortening. And maybe this is an unpopular opinion, but I think 100% shortening works best here. The all-shortening version is still super flavorful and the cookies have a great texture with soft insides and crunchy shells. So maybe save the Land o' Lakes for your chocolate chip and other buttery flavor cookies and use Spectrum or Crisco here.
Large Batch Recipe, Stand Mixer & Scale
This is one of my few large batch recipes, and I've updated it for 2024. Because it's a large batch recipe, I recommend using a stand mixer. If you don't have your scale yet that's okay, but if you do I've written the recipe so you can just put the mixing bowl on the scale, set the tare to zero and dump things in. You should never have to clean shortening or molasses out of a mixing cup again.
Amount of Flour
When a recipe calls for 4 cups of flour there's all sorts of room for errors. For this recipe, I start with 4 cups of all-purpose at a weight of 500 grams total. I've been testing this recipe with King Arthur, which is pretty strong (more protein) and absorbent. With bleached all-purpose or a different brand, it's possible you might need an extra half cup.
Cayenne Pepper in Big Soft Ginger Cookies
My own twist is to add cayenne pepper. It gives zip to the cookies, but not so much that a child wouldn’t like them. Fuzz used to like these more than just about any other cookie. I used to also add a teaspoon of cocoa powder and a little vanilla for even more flavor, but now I leave both of those things out and just use the spices.
Recipe
Big Soft Ginger Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups shortening (but feel free to use half butter, half shortening) (290 grams)
- 2 cups granulated sugar, plus you'll need more for rolling (400 grams)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup molasses (Grandma's, Brer Rabbit, Golden Barrel) (80 grams)
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ tablespoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- 4 to 4 ½ cups all purpose flour, measure by lightly spooning into the cup (500 grams)
- Sparkly Sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Have ready two or three large cookie sheets lined with parchment or Silpats.
- Put the mixing bowl on a scale and add 280 grams (1 ½ cups) shortening and the sugar. With the paddle attachment, beat on medium speed until creamy.
- Add the eggs and molasses and beat with the paddle for about 2 minutes, stopping to scrape the side of the bowl. By the way, the best way to measure the molasses is to put the bowl on the scale, set the tare to 0 and pour in 160 grams.
- Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and sprinkle salt, baking soda and all spices on batter then stir. Return to the stand and beat until thoroughly blended, scraping the side of the bowl. Add the flour gradually, stirring until blended.
- You should have a big bowl of soft, squishy dough. This makes somewhere around 51 oz or 3 pounds 3 oz so you should get 24 cookies that are a little over 2 oz. You can make them bigger if you like, but the 2 oz portions expand and the cookies are pretty large.
- Shape dough into 24 balls or scoop with a large cookie scoop. Press tops down slightly for more even baking (this is an optional step), then roll the balls in sparkly sugar or extra granulated sugar. Place 3 inches apart on cookie sheets and bake one sheet at a time on center rack of oven for 13-15 minutes. Cookies should appear cracked on top but still slightly soft.
- Let cool before serving. These start out with a very soft inside and firm up to a still soft but chewy cookie.
Fran(Snookies Cookies) says
I'm looking for a big soft ginger cookie. I will make this tonight but instead of rolling them(cookies) in sparkly sugar I thought I would give them a light lemon glaze.
Renuka says
Hi Anna,
Thank you again for another great cookie you introduced me to. I love love this cookie and make several batches of it every winter. I made this recipe and also added some nutmeg to it on my blog. Thanks again
Anna says
Hi Becca,
No need to hide your baking addiction around here!
About the chipotle, I don't think it would be that great. It's good in chocolate, but if you leave the pepper out you'll still have a really good cookie.
A good place for the chipotle powder would be peanut butter cookies. I like adding it to my one bowl peanut butter criss cross cookies.
Becca says
Anna,
Just found your site, and just found i have a hidden baking addiction.
These sound awesome, but i was wondering...I dont have cayenne, but have chipotle powder...would it do sort of the same thing in terms of flavor? or would it just be disgusting?
Thanks!
Bridget says
My Dad loves spicy food, so i made these for him, but I added red pepper flakes to them. They looked very festive and added an intensified kick for more adventurous eaters. Absolutely loooove this recipe, thanks so much!
gillian says
I just baked these now: I was nervous about the cayenne pepper but wow it's a neat addition. I used regular granulated sugar instead of "sparkly" but everything else the same. Good mix of crunchy on the outside and chewy inside.
Randi says
Anna,
You gave me a big ginger cookie recipe a couple years ago that everyone loved( it uses all shortening). Btw, have I told you I'm baking at a market? I'm working for a caterer who works out of the market. http://www.cheflescooks.com. I go into work today and he has all these recipes from your site printed off( he found you thru me). We're trying new things to sell( my stuff is selling like crazy!!) and I mentioned large cookies A LA starbucks. I tried a choc. chip one today from Marcy Goldman, but it spread way too much and was too thin. What would you suggest?
Jen says
Never mind. I just ordered 5 lbs from here:
Dietrich's Country Store 660 Old 22, Lenhartsville, PA 19534; 610-756-6344.
Woo hoo!
Jen says
That's it. I'm on a mission to find lard. I wonder if I can order it online?
Lara says
Oh my gosh, these look amazing. I might have to make them...TONIGHT.
CPB says
I made these last night and they are SO good. This is going to become a family favorite. They were great yesterday still warm from the oven but they are even better this morning!
Jen says
So, which ginger cookie do you like better? This one or the your other Colossal Ginger Cookie?
Anna says
Hi Cass, I'm glad you like that recipe. I think putting the dough in the refrigerator might make the dough a little too firm to roll. It might work, but my worry is that you'd have to work really hard to get it flattened and then by the time you got it flattened, it would be too soft and greasy to work with. If you try it, let us know.
Meredith, I like to plug all my dough into The Matrix so The Oracle, a good friend of mine, can borrow some. She hates making it herself, but she enjoys cutting and baking. Neo likes cookies too.
Meredith says
"What I wanted to know though was could you put the dough into the computer to firm up before flattening and then roll out once firm."
Cass,
I think I'd try the fridge before the computer! 😉
Cass Ward says
This isn't a comment about this cookie but about the Lazy Mum's Cutout cookie. I have made these already and they were very popular so I decided I am going to make rabbit ones for my daughters class. What I wanted to know though was could you put the dough into the computer to firm up before flattening and then roll out once firm.
Carmen Gonzales says
Sounds SOo yummy will have to print this one out 😀 Thanks, Carm
Sarah says
I love ginger cookies, especially when they are soft. I will have to try your recipe as it is a bit different than the one I always use.
Anna says
Hi Carrie,
Room temperature butter is obviously easier to deal with and blends together nicely with the sugar, but cold butter makes for a thicker dough and it seems (from my experience) a more flakey cookie.
Anna says
Hi Carrie,
Room temperature butter is obviously easier to deal with and blends together nicely with the sugar, but cold butter makes for a thicker dough and it seems (from my experience) a more flakey cookie.
Carrie says
Hi Anna,
These look great. I might make them and add some chocolate chips for good measure! Here's a question: why do some recipes call for room temperature butter and some for cold?
Thanks,
Carrie
Anna says
NP, you will love these. They are nice and gingery.
Katy, after I posted it, I went back and looked at an old recipe of mine called "Colossal Ginger Cookies". This one is very similar in proportion to that one. I guess all the big ginger cookies are cut from the same cloth. I didn't know Martha had a new cookie book. Thanks for the tip!
Katy says
Almost exactly the same recipe in Elinor Klivan's fantastic Big Fat Cookies and one of our all-time favorites, too.
Just bought Martha Stewart's new cookie book. It looks great. I had many of the recipes already but it's nice to see the full color photos.
Noble Pig says
These look great. I love a little gingery-ginger in my cookie. I think it's a treat.